


Carpe Diem

by snooperj



Series: Drabbles [12]
Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Drabble, F/M, Romance, how it should have ended, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:57:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7249252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snooperj/pseuds/snooperj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal patches things up with Christa after she sees him with Grace. When Neal is offered a rare opportunity to work with his father in London, he wonders whether taking Christa with him is the best course of action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reassurance

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Seize the Day  
> Pair: Neal Hudson x Christa Lorenson
> 
> My take on what should happen as a proper send-off for the two following the news that they won't be returning, because of closure that all the Christeal fans need. Will be released in chapters, so come along with me for the ride.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal finds his voice to get back what he had with Christa.

**_"Neal, I can't do this. I can't. I was married. I had a child. I don't wanna be anybody's second choice."_ **

Christa's parting words as she walked away from him a week ago resonated in his mind as Neal stared blankly at the bowl of cereal he lazily put together for breakfast. His flat felt emptier when he was alone. Since then, it had been awkward going to work. To think that it would end just as soon as they were taking things a step further felt a little unfair.

Of course, Neal had to make sure that he wasn't kidding himself; that he sorted out whatever feelings he had and who they were for. It wasn't opportunistic that Grace returned when she did. Not that Neal blamed her, but it strained his growing relationship with Christa more than he would have preferred.

In frustration, he completely abandoned breakfast and tossed the contents of the bowl straight into the trash bin, rinsed the bowl and set it to dry on the rack before he grabbed his keys and jacket and left. He needed a drink. Neal later found himself settling in Hector's with a platter of chips and guacamole along with some tequila by himself before lunch.

By some twist of fate, Christa came through the door, and the two locked gazes when they took stock of one another. When Christa adjusted her hold on her bag and turned to leave, Neal rose to his feet immediately. "Christa, wait," he choked out. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about Neal," Christa reasoned as she turned back to face him, flashing him a smile. Neal's legs barely survived standing at seeing that across her face. At that point he knew where his loyalties laid.

"You're not second choice, Christa. Even when Grace came back, I never thought about getting back together with her," Neal explained swiftly as he moved up to her, outstretching a hand out.

Christa searched Neal's eyes for a while. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't relieved to hear that. Time away from him was torture for her, especially after everything they'd been through. Slowly, she grabbed hold of Neal's hand as they exchanged shy smiles, allowing herself to be pulled towards the table he occupied. As she set her things down and sat down across from him with their hands still joined, Christa struggled to find the right words. "Why didn't you tell me that last week?"

"Honestly? I thought you wouldn't have believed me."

Christa slowly nodded in agreement to this. "So... does she still mean anything to you?"

At this Neal shook his head as he pulled Christa's hand close and kissed the back of her hand. "Trust me, she doesn't. You're the only one I care about now Christa. What happened with me and Grace ended a long time ago. I want to build a future together with _you_ , and no one else."

"Neal..."

Neal squeezed her hand gently before he gave her his ever charming smile. "Come on. You must be famished," he urged.

"Just a little bit. But really, tequila in the morning?" Christa reprimanded lightly when she took stock of the single glass' content.

"I couldn't help it, I was in a rut about all this, it practically shot down my routine outside work. Patching things up with you is quickly making me sober though, if it's any consolation."

"And here I thought you could hold your alcohol Doctor Hudson."

"I can. I just wanted to make it clear that I'm in the right state of mind else you'd think I'm babbling nonsense and you’d leave me again."

Christa’s eyes softened at that. “No, I don’t think I’d be leaving again now that I’m sure you’re over her. Besides… we’re both total train wrecks apart, if this week wasn’t any indication." A laugh escaped Christa after this. One that Neal never thought he'd hear again.

He handed her the menu, relieved that they were finally able to move past this roadblock that was his ex-girlfriend. Neal invited Christa back to his flat soonafter they were done. Their chemistry as soon as they stepped past the threshold was as magical and instantaneous as the first time they kissed in the hospital supplies room.

Their time apart fueled their feral needs of one another, their lovemaking becoming a bit more rough but all the more satisfying. In Neal's book, it was the best sex he's ever had to date.

They had fallen asleep throughout the afternoon, their energy depleted after adrenaline left their bodies.

What woke them in the early hours of the evening was a phone call.

Neal reached out for his iPhone.

"Who is it?" Christa asked sleepily, snuggling closer to him as she rested her head atop Neal's bare chest.

"Hang on. Finding that out now," Neal said hoarsely as he rubbed his eyes awake and brought the screen up to see the name registered.

It was his father.


	2. Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal gets a phone call from his father about an opportunity in London, inviting him to come back home. Now he’s left to make a decision that would impact his life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely loved that they introduced Neal's parents during Season 1. It gave a lot more depth to Neal, and in many cases, became a great avenue for me to explore in coming up with this send-off idea for him and Christa.

“What are you waiting for? Answer it,” Christa urged when she saw Neal’s hesitation.

"You think I should?" Neal asked skeptically.

"Why shouldn't you?"

Christa _did_ have a point. As much as Neal was skeptical about whatever reason his father would be calling, he had no real reason to avoid talking with him. Neal ran his thumb along the screen to answer the call and brought it to his ear. "Dad?"

 _ **“Neal, glad to hear you’ve finally picked up my calls,”**_ came the relieved voice of Peter Hudson over the phone.

“I’ve been caught up with work as of late, pulling overtime and all. Is there a problem?"

_**"Problem? No, none at all. If anything, your mother and I are doing extraordinarily well."** _

Neal smiled. His father always could sound incredibly chipper. "That's good to hear."

_**"The reason I'm calling though needs a bit of time to process, and I wanted to discuss it with you personally so we don't end up misunderstanding each other, as we have done in the past if I merely sent you an e-mail."** _

Neal couldn't deny that didn't happen. The last time it did, Neal had mistakenly sent over flowers to London for his mother’s birthday when his father had requested surprising his mother. It turned out that his father had arranged for them to fly down to LA to spend time with their son, so the flowers were wilted by the time they got back. Neal shook his head at the thought.

But the very idea that his father had something to discuss was, by all accounts, surprising.

_**"As you're already aware, I'm currently heading the Surgery Department here in Oxford. It has come to my attention that our very good ER Residency Director, Dr. Matthew Englemyer, will be retiring at the end of September, and we're on the hunt looking for his replacement."** _

“Okay. What does that have to do with me?"

_**“I seem to recall that during our last venture there, you were teaching your residents quite comfortably in that stressful environment while resolving your mother’s... complications."** _

“And I seem to recall you reprimanding me for doing so at such a crucial point,” Neal pointed out.

_**“Yes, but panic aside, you were doing it admirably."** _

Neal and Christa exchanged glances as this point. Without eavesdropping on the conversation, Christa gave Neal’s free hand a reassuring squeeze. “I learned from the best,” he responded.

_**“I was wondering if you would be interested in bringing that expertise home."** _

“Home?” Neal repeated, squeezing Christa’s hand in response. “You’re offering the post to me?"

_**“We understand that you are by all accounts comfortable and settled there in America. But I was hoping if you could reconsider, given the circumstances. Your mother does miss you Neal. As do I, of course."** _

Conflict swelled in Neal’s chest. “When do you need a reply?” Neal asked.

_**“That depends. Are you considering it?"** _

Before Neal could reply, he heard some activity of what he assumed to be the phone being pulled from his father before a gentler voice spoke, confirming his suspicions.

 _ **“Neal, darling,”**_ came Asra Hudson’s voice.

“Hello Mum,” Neal greeted in turn.

 _ **“You don’t have to make a decision this second. Take your time, and talk it out with whoever you need to,”**_ Asra told him in reassurance. _**“September is still three months away, after all. Not to mention it’s a very big decision you’ll be making for yourself."**_

Neal smiled. Count on his mother to reassure him like this. “Thank you."

 _ **“Whenever you’ve decided, call us,”**_ Asra told him. _**“We’ll talk to you then son."**_

“Alright. Goodbye,” Neal greeted before ending the call and setting his phone aside. It was a lot to take in, indeed a big decision to make. He turned to Christa who looked at him expectantly.

“What did you and your parents talk about?” Christa asked.

Neal slowly peeled himself away from Christa as he sat up, thinking about how best to tell her. Ever since Grace came back, his life had continued to throw inconvenience after inconvenience his way. And just when he thought he had everything under control, life threw him another curveball. As expected of his parents.

Christa followed his lead, sensing the conflict as she sat up as well. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable, Neal. I get it,” she told him gently as she rubbed his arm soothingly.

How could Neal deserve this woman? “My father’s… offered me a job in Oxford,” he explained.

At this, Christa blinked, lowering her hand. “Oh,” she said in a slightly defeated tone. “As what?"

“ER Residency Director. Same as what Leanne did, and what Mike is currently doing,” Neal answered.

“I still think you should have gotten that post,” Christa voiced out, attempting to soften the situation a little. “When do you have to decide?” she followed up.

“Not right away. I still have a lot to think about,” Neal considered, turning to Christa and planting a loving kiss on her forehead.

Christa wrapped her arms around Neal’s and settled her head on his shoulder. “Tell me when you’ve made a decision, okay?” she requested quietly.

Neal rested his head atop Christa’s. “Of course. You’ll be the first to know,” he promised.

Needless to say, Neal had a lot of thinking to do. He considered putting it at the back of his mind as they entered another work week, as he felt that having it in the backburner would cause him to hesitate on making any crucial calls. Suffice it to say, things were in brighter spirits now that he and Christa had come back together, and their friends surely noticed it. But just as it was obvious that everyone was working much more fluidly, the ER Director could not help but notice a slight anxiety from their surgical attending whenever he didn’t have his hands busy.

By midweek, Leanne waited for Neal to get off work. She was outside waiting by her car when she saw Neal emerge from the hospital alone.

“Leanne,” Neal acknowledged.

“Not with Christa tonight?” Leanne asked.

Neal shook his head. “Going out with Malaya, Mario and Angus,” he explained. “Residents’ night out."

“How about you and I go for a drink too?” she offered with her signatory smirk, swinging her car keys into view. “I imagine you’d be looking for one after those last two shifts,” Leanne added.

Neal gave her a small, tired smile. “Sure."

“Hop in,” Leanne offered, gesturing to her car before they climbed in and drove off to one of Leanne’s trusted go-to bars. They situated themselves at the bar front and ordered a round of drinks.

If the alcohol did anything, it was reminding Neal about the exact thing he was avoiding. He started thinking about Oxford again. He glanced over to Leanne, wondering if he should tell her but chose against it for the time being. He just wasn’t ready yet. But it wasn’t until they were on their second round of drinks did the ER Director glance over to him.

“Okay Neal, we need to talk."


	3. Indecision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by Leanne, Neal shares his anxieties with her and the decision he needs to make.

"About what?" Neal asked almost dismissively, avoiding Leanne's gaze.

"Well, clearly something's been on your mind for some time. I know you're not one to talk about personal matters, but I'm offering to listen if you've got something to say."

Count on Leanne to notice. Neal shouldn’t have been surprised anymore. After all, there was a reason why she was Daddy - whatever you were keeping secret, she'd found out about it one way or another; and that way sounded a lot like Jesse about now.

As if reading his thoughts, Leanne swished the contents of her glass. “Jesse saw you having a very rare breakdown in the supplies room yesterday,” she explained.

“I knew I heard the door open,” Neal muttered under his breath.

Leanne reached out and rubbed his back soothingly. “I take it… you haven’t talked about it with Christa yet?” she guessed. “It must be pretty big if you’re choosing not to tell her about it yet."

Neal let out a heavy sigh he didn’t realize he was holding in. If he was going to confide in anyone about this, it was going to be Leanne. He finally turned to her. “Leanne?” he began, trying to string the words together. “Giving your Residency Director post over to Mike… was it easy for you?"

The question almost came out of left field for the ER Director. Pulling her arm back, she simply raised a questioning eyebrow at Neal, urging him to elaborate without having to verbally point it out.

“And I’m sure you were against it when Harbert told you to take Gina’s place after she died."

“He didn’t really give me much of a choice,” Leanne reminded him with a shrug of her shoulders. “Don’t tell me you actually wanted the job all along?"

Neal shook his head at this. "Because my father's offering the same position to me. In Oxford, where he works as the Head of Surgery," Neal supplied.

Leanne, who was halfway to bringing the cup to her lips, lowered it back onto the bar and distinctly frowned. "Your father?" she repeated.

Neal nodded in affirmation. "Yes."

“You know how big a responsibility being a Residency Director is, _especially_ for ER."

“Of course I do. You showed me how difficult that job is everyday,” Neal teased lightly.

Leanne offered him a smile of acknowledgement. "You don't just worry about the influx of patients that come in through those doors. You also worry about training good doctors who you can trust to make the right judgement calls in whatever situation they find themselves in," Leanne explained, gesturing over to Neal. "And from what I could tell, you were doing that just fine without that title under your name. Before Mike came into the picture," she complimented.

Neal finished his shot. “Thanks but… I just don't know if I should take it."

"It's an opportunity," Leanne reasoned out.

"It's in London."

Leanne shook her head as she downed her shot and raised a hand to call for a third round for them both. "When you stepped into Angels for the first time as my resident, I asked why you went into Emergency Medicine. You told me that the reason you left England was because you wanted to step away from underneath your father's shadow."

“It was to learn from the best,” Neal corrected before he smirked. "And save more lives than I ever could cooped up in the luxury of an O.R.,” he added.

“And you did that,” Leanne reassured him. “You proved that to him first-hand when they were here. You showed him what you can do now.” Leanne paused for a moment before turning her attention to him. “Did you by any chance mention to your father that you’re surgical attending now? Or that you’ve done a craniotomy?"

“No,” came Neal’s immediate response. “Why?"

“Being a surgeon is in your blood Neal. That’s why you could never fully avoid it here. That’s why you’ve made the decisions like you have. Your training as a surgeon? Has made you that much better as an ER doctor,” Leanne complimented as she reached out and squeezed Neal’s hand. “Someday… you’re going to meet a resident just like yourself who’s born to be a surgeon but wants to save more lives down in ER. And you’re going to be the best person to guide them, encouraging them that they haven’t made the wrong decision."

Neal smiled softly at this. “Leanne…"

"Trust me Neal. If you take his offer, I just know that you’ll be a _great_ Residency Director. While Angels will have lost one of its best doctors… Oxford will have gained an excellent one. We'll always have our lasting friendship, no matter where you practice medicine."

Their third round of drinks were served by this time, and both Neal and Leanne took them and raised their glasses in a mini-toast.

“To lasting friendships,” Leanne toasted.

“To new opportunities,” Neal added before they both drank down the contents.

“Looks like you’re decided now."

Neal nodded. “Thank you Leanne. I needed this talk."

"You're welcome." Leanne paused. "So... Christa?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter, more because I got to experiment with writing Leanne more than anything. As you've probably already seen from the past two chapters, I've been ending it with cliffhangers as a teaser into what the next chapter would probably be about. I've got 3 more chapters left after this, each of them having a bit more characters than with the number I've been dealing with so far.


	4. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, Christa contemplates on Neal's dilemma, sharing her concern with her fellow residents. Malaya, Mario and Angus cheer her on to follow her heart.

At another bar a few blocks down, the four were having beer. It had been one of the rare times the group wasn't doing a night shift, so having a taste of the night life once in a blue moon was a welcome difference, despite being hell for their body clocks.

"Hey by the way Christa, congrats on patching things up with Neal. We didn't think you two would get back together," Mario started.

Malaya whacked Mario on the arm. "What Mario means is, we think you two totally deserve each other."

“Mario’s just wasted and jealous,” Angus added. “He had to break things off with Heather after finding out how she really was,” he shared.

Christa turned to Mario. “You had a thing for Heather?” she asked in surprise.

At this, Mario simply shrugged. “First of all, I'm not wasted. And second of all, it was a passing fancy. I ended it before it got out of hand."

“After everything she did, I’d be insulted if you still stayed with her,” Angus muttered darkly.

"Hey, she was the one who's still coming onto me."

Deciding to let the two boys let off some steam, Malaya gently placed a hand on Christa’s arm, shifting her attention. “You look troubled though. What’s up?"

Christa was contemplating about whether it was apt to talk about it. Neal hadn’t brought it up yet, but she was getting restless knowing that if in the event Neal decided to go to London, there was a chance she would get left behind.

“Christa?” Malaya tried again.

“Sorry,” Christa said as she shook her head. “It’s about Neal."

“Uh oh. Did we speak too soon?” Malaya asked in worry.

“No, no. Nothing like that!” Christa said immediately. “We’re fine. It’s just…"

“Just what?” both Mario and Angus asked, their arguments watered down with the intrigue brought upon by Christa’s problem.

A bit pressured at this point, Christa looked at the three and let out a heavy sigh. “He’s been invited to be a Residency Director."

“Isn’t that what Mike is doing now?” Mario asked in confusion, turning over to Angus.

"Mike never told me he was leaving,” Angus began in panic.

“Not at Angels,” Christa clarified quickly.

“Where?” Malaya asked.

“Oxford,” came Christa’s reply.

The other three looked at each other. “Oxford as in… London?” Angus clarified.

“Neal got a call from his father the day we got back together,” Christa explained, realizing that there was no going back now that she started to talk about it. “He was offered the post there."

“Did he say why?” Mario asked.

“Not really. I didn’t want to eavesdrop on the conversation. All he told me was his father had invited him. And that he had to think about it."

Angus shifted, moving his glass aside for the moment. “Did he sound like he was considering it?"

“I wouldn’t be anxious if he didn’t consider it,” came Christa’s response.

“So you’re looking at a couple of scenarios here, the easiest one being he doesn’t take the job and stays here. And then you have him flying off to London with you… or without you,” Mario expounded.

“Totally wouldn’t want to be in his shoes right now…” Angus mumbled.

“There’s also the possibility that he’d ask your thoughts on it too,” Malaya followed up, realizing how grim things sounded. “Neal wouldn’t make a decision that big without taking you into consideration. Especially if you two just got back together."

“Honestly? I wouldn’t take it against him if he made the decision to go on his own. The last thing I want to be is a burden for Neal,” Christa considered.

“Give him a chance. You two haven’t talked about it yet, right?” Malaya asked. When Christa shook her head in response, Malaya rubbed her arm reassuringly. “Just trust that he’ll keep you at the top of his mind when he makes a decision about this,” she urged.

"I guess that's why he's been keeping his distance these past few days?" Angus considered.

"Right? He's usually more hands on than that," Mario affirmed. When the group gave him curious looks, Mario raised his hands defensively. "I meant he's more sociable in between treating patients, was what I was getting at," he clarified.

"What if he asks me to come? I don't think I'm ready to leave all this behind," Christa said worriedly, pertaining to the residency she's currently doing with them.

"I'd think you'd be hoping for too much," Mario pointed out before Angus and Malaya shot him a warning glare.

"I'd be helluva excited if I ever got that opportunity," Angus chimed in as he turned back to Christa.

"Christa, you can always practice medicine anywhere in the world, but you can't always find love like what you have with Neal. It's sacred and it's pure. I can see it," Malaya reassured her.

Christa was grateful that her fellow residents were supportive. Okay, maybe some a little more than others, but supportive all the same. It made things a bit more bearable.

"Look Christa. You can be whatever you wanna be, go wherever you wanna go. You're a good doctor, and any hospital, be it Angels, Oxford or wherever else, is going to be better off having you around," Mario clarified, realizing that what their eldest resident needed was support in this whole matter. "Don't worry about the technicalities. Whether or not Neal makes a decision isn't going to matter. You need to meet him in the middle and make your own decision too."

And just like that, Christa found herself silently surprised. Angus was quick to mention his own surprise with Mario's otherwise eloquent monoloque.

"Looks like you really aren't wasted yet," Angus praised his fellow resident, clapping him on the shoulder as they clinked beer mugs.

"I agree with Mario," Malaya piped up with a smile. "You need to make a decision for yourself too, so when he asks, you have an answer. Go with what your heart is telling you," she encouraged.

At that moment, Christa knew exactly what her heart was telling her. After what she'd been through with her family, she was ready to finally move on and start anew. The feelings she had towards Neal admittedly grew over time. Looking back, she realized how often she subconsciously gravitated towards assisting Neal more than the other attendings. Before she knew it, Neal had become her rock, her voice of reason in times of uncertainty; Neal became her unrelenting teacher who never gave up believing in her talents. Up until now, Christa could not express how much Neal meant to her; how much he had encouraged her, supported her and most importantly, accepted her fully for who and how she was. But now she felt ready to tell him. More than a simple "I love you".

At that precise moment, her phone rang. Fishing it out from her jacket pocket, she read the name on the screen: Neal Hudson

"It's Neal," Christa announced to the group before promptly excusing herself and stepped outside to take it. "Hello?"

_**"Christa. I'm sorry for disturbing your night out. I do hope you're sober?"** _

"Yes, I'm still very much sober," Christa responded, shaking her head in amusement.

_**"Could I trouble you to meet me back at my apartment tonight?"** _

"Tonight?" Christa clarified.

_**"It's about Oxford. I promised to let you know my decision, and I wanted to tell you in person."** _

Christa checked the time. It was 10:34 PM. "I can be there in 20 minutes."

_**"I'll see you then."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer to publish - I’m not as confident writing the residents, especially with their different personalities. One of the reasons I let this one soak a bit is because it’s a lot of back and forth between them.


	5. Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal and Christa come together to discuss Oxford.

10:45 PM

Neal was making some last minute fixes to his place as soon as Leanne had dropped him off. Christa was particularly good at estimating her travel time when traffic was a non-issue, and 20 minutes since their call was coming soon and fast. Just when he finished realigning the picture frames, a loud knock came to the door. Neal immediately moved towards it before pulling it open. “Christa?” he identified in surprise.

"You sound like you weren’t expecting me Neal,” Christa teased.

“No, no of course not,” Neal defended, stepping back and opening the door wider so she could come inside. “I just didn’t expect you for another 5 minutes,” he explained, checking his watch.

“I overestimated this time around,” Christa replied with a laugh before she moved in. Neal had often commented how she came right around the time she said she would make it, and it was one of the things even Christa herself failed to notice about herself. She shed off her jacket and set her things down by the dining table as Neal closed the door. She moved up to him as they stood by the doorway “So…” she started awkwardly.

“So…” Neal responded just as awkwardly. He inwardly slapped himself for not being more mature about all this. He could already see Leanne in his mind's eye scolding him for lacking a spine when it counted. “Let’s sit down,” he offered, gesturing towards the couch.

“Yeah. That’s a good idea,” Christa said with a smile. They relocated to the couch before the awkward phase began anew.

“Christa, I--”

“Neal, I--"

"I wondered--"

"I think--"

They both paused when they realized they were just talking over each other and at the same time. There was the awkwardness again. He gave her an understanding smile, while she gave him an embarassed nod.

“I know I didn’t ask you to, but… did you by any chance think about what I told you?” Neal began to ask her. “About my father's offer to me in Oxford?"

"I did. But... I suppose I want to hear your thoughts about it first. You never really told me the whole thing, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't about whether or not I come with you."

"You're right, of course," Neal admitted with several nods to himself. He owed Christa a proper explanation. "Their current ER Residency Director has announced his retirement, and they're searching for someone to replace him," Neal began to explain.

"So why did they think you could fill that post?" Christa asked curiously.

"As you well know, my parents work there. I'd imagine it was merely an excuse to get me to fly back to London, but from how he explained things it was also because they got to see me work last time they were here," Neal answered.

"So they basically liked what they saw."

"Coming from my hard-to-please father? Yes. They did. My mum said they didn't need me to make a decision right away."

"I guess it's been on your mind a lot right?"

"Sadly it was also why I've been... declining breakfasts as of late. I apologize for that," Neal stated with a frown.

"No, no. Don't apologize Neal. I completely understand," Christa reassured him. "I know this is a life-changing decision you're making."

"I know. That's why I'm carefully considering my options," Neal continued, reaching out to grasp Christa's hand and maintaining eye contact. "But that option is dependent on what _you_ want, Christa."

"What I want?"

Neal nodded. "It'd be selfish of me to make an important decision like this without asking your opinion shortly after we got back together. Wouldn't you think so?"

"I guess you've got a point."

"...So?" Neal urged gently, silently asking for her response.

Christa took a few moments to collect herself. This was exactly what Mario was talking about. Thankfully, she already had an answer for him. “Usually I would make a logical decision; a career-oriented one," Christa began, and she could have sworn she saw Neal's hopeful smile get replaced with a kicked puppy look that she just found adorable, driving her to continue before he ended up misunderstanding her meaning. "But..for once, I’ll go with what my heart is telling me - and that’s wherever you are."

Neal's heart leapt in relief as he lunged forward and captured Christa's lips in a loving kiss, caressing her neck gingerly. He pulled away as they gasped for air. “My thoughts exactly," he exhaled.

Their lips met again in another kiss, a fiery passion overcoming them both as Neal gently pushed Christa back down on the couch. This was quickly dispelled as Christa pulled back. 

"Wait... you knew I was coming with you?" she asked in surprise.

Neal shrugged his shoulders, a lopsided grin etching across his face. "I hoped."

There was a long moment of silence between them. 

"So… are we ready to tell the others?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end! I know it's been a long and agonizing journey and I haven't really given a clear answer even after Neal and Christa talked it out. I deeply apologize!
> 
> But all will be resolved by the last chapter! Hope you stay with me until the end! I assure you all that it WILL be a happy ending, just as they deserve.


	6. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of their friends at Angels learn about what’s in store for Neal and Christa, while Neal tells his parents about his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, last chapter there was a not-so-subtle hint of where the decision was bringing Neal and Christa for this one. Not sure if anyone picked it up, but to put it out there, it was unintentional.

Christa's question hung in the air for some time. The last thing Neal wanted to do was withhold any more information from her now that they had made a consensus. "Leanne already knows," Neal explained simply.

 Christa gently pushed him off as she sat back up. "She does?"

Neal leaned back and sat back down on the couch as well. "To be honest she helped solidify my decision. She's promised to prepare all the necessary paperwork."

Christa furrowed her brows at this in confusion. "Wait, paperwork?"

"Recommendation papers and the sort. For us," Neal expounded.

"So... Rorish knows I'm going with you..?" Christa clarified slowly.

Neal flashed a smile. "Last I checked, “us” was a subject pronoun referring to two or more people," he chided before he recalled something. "And yes, Leanne knows about us."

"But... we never gave the signed document..." Christa began before she turned to Neal in realization. "Unless..."

"I submitted it to the board while they were interrogating us over Gina's death," Neal said, answering her silent conclusion. "They're aware of our relationship, even when Grace arrived."

Christa could pick up the dismissive tone with which Neal referred to Grace. It reassured her that he had no stray feelings, and this was enough for her to feel more invested in her decision to go with him. "How long is that going to take?"

"A couple of days, a week at most," Neal estimated. "I'll check with Leanne tomorrow. We're back on shift aren't we?"

"Shift, right," Christa agreed. "But I'm sure we have time for other things before we retire for the night while I'm here," she flirted. "What do you say?"

A sly, knowing smirk etched itself on Neal's face at this. Without really having to respond, Neal simply leaned forward and kissed her, urging her back down on the couch and spent most of the evening catching up on lost time and intimacy.

* * *

The following afternoon, the group was slowly reuniting for their evening shift. Malaya, Mario and Angus were discussing theories on why Christa suddenly left them the night before.

“Maybe she and Neal had a midnight fondue?” Angus considered.

“Fondue? Really, you’re going with that?” Mario asked him pointedly. “I can already tell you’re a Marvel fanboy."

“It’s completely possible though,” Angus argued.

“Considering she left in a hurry, that angle isn’t that far off actually,” Malaya agreed. 

“And what sort of dilemmas are we all facing?” Rollie asked as he strolled by. 

“Do my ears deceive me, or am I hearing our residents riding on the gossip train?” Jesse added as the head nurse came up to the three.

 “Doctor Guthrie, could I ask you a question?” Angus asked.

“Ask away, young squire."

“Why wasn't the Residency Director post offered to you or Doctor Hudson?” 

“You’re making it sound like you prefer not to have your brother around Angus,” Jesse teased.

“Little brothers tend to be like that when they’re intimidated,” Mike chimed in as he eased his way towards the group.

“As much as I enjoy teaching you all what I can, I’m only here part-time, so it wouldn’t have made sense for me to take over Doctor Rorish's post,” Rollie explained. “And as for Doctor Hudson…” he trailed off, gesturing over to Mike to respond. “You’ll have to ask him. Excuse me.” That said, Rollie went off to attend to a patient. 

“I was pretty sure Leanne would ask Neal to take over too, but she didn’t. And he didn’t fight for it either,” Mike explained.

“Why the sudden inquiry?” Jesse followed up, glancing over to the three.

The three residents glanced at each other hesitantly at this.

“We’re not in Code Black yet, but I would really appreciate having my people do their jobs. I’d do it all myself but I only have one pair of hands,” Leanne announced as she came forward to disperse the group while gloving up as she went.

Just as they all scuttled away to attend to their patients, Neal and Christa arrived together, none the wiser of what was just discussed.

* * *

Later on during shift, Neal was in the break room, which was a rarity. Jesse and Mike came inside together, both having wide grins on their faces. Neal was busily eating some crackers and reading the charts of one of his patients who he was contemplating on whether or not surgery was the only option left.

“Hey Neal, congrats~” Mike started as he sat down across him.

Neal glanced up at him before he shifted glances between the two. “For what?"

Jesse walked up to Neal and patted him on the shoulder. “We’re going to miss you here."

Realizing what they were talking about, Neal closed his charts. “How did you two…"

“Neal, this is Angels. And down here in ER, you know that there are no secrets between Daddy and Mama,” Jesse explained with a smirk.

Neal wouldn’t disagree with that; if Leanne knew about something then without a doubt, that news would reach Jesse. He turned to Mike with an inquisitive look as if to ask how and when he found out.

“Leanne had to give me a heads up considering you’re stealing one of my residents,” Mike explained slyly.

Neal frowned. He didn’t like the way that sounded. “Don’t take it personally Mike, she—"

“We know, Neal,” Mike cut off with a smile. “Leanne told us that much too, even though it was unnecessary,” he explained.

“You two were pretty obvious,” Jesse offered additionally. At this, he literally saw Neal almost blush indignantly at being found out.

“So you’ll be ER Residency Director at Oxford, right?” Mike clarified.

 “That’s right. The current one will be retiring by the end of September, so I have time to transition things over should anyone want to fill in the Surgical Attending post that I’m vacating. I kind of feel a little guilty leaving it almost as quick as I started,” Neal considered.

 “You have noble reasons for stepping down from your post, Doctor Hudson. I doubt anyone is going to fault you for it,” Jesse reassured him.

“ER Residency Director... I just know you’ll be great, man,” Mike added, nodding over to Neal.

"Thank you. Both of you," Neal said with an appreciative nod before he got back to his charts, a bit more pleased knowing he had the support of his friends on this decision. It wasn’t until later did he remember that he had two more people to inform about it - his parents.

* * *

A few hours later, Neal was able to finish a successful surgery and have some free time to place a call to his parents. He made his way to the hospital rooftop and dialled his father’s number as he brought the phone to his ear as it rang.

 _ **“Neal,”**_ came the calm voice of Peter Hudson.

“You told me to call you once I made a decision,” Neal explained. “About Oxford."

There was an audible shift as Peter set the phone down and put it on speaker. 

 _ **“It’s good to hear from you Neal,”**_ Asra chimed in. 

 _ **“So, what’s your decision?”**_ Peter asked, plowing right into the nature of the call. 

Neal gripped his phone a little as he glanced out onto the LA skyline. “I’ve decided to go,” he answered. 

 _ **“That’s excellent news!”**_ Peter said in excitement.  _ **“We’ll procure your airline ticket straight away."**_

 “But I’m not going there alone."

There was a pause among the parents.  ** _“How do you mean?”_** Peter finally asked with furrowed brows, as Neal could well imagine.

“My girlfriend is coming along with me."

There was another motion of silence between the Hudson parents. Despite the disagreements he had with his father, Neal had often called home to tell them about life beyond the hospital walls, as he had grown exhausted arguing with his father to no end about his decisions of going into Emergency Medicine. 

He had mentioned dating Grace to them at some point, and they supported him on his decisions, including joining the cause to go to Haiti. Neal had also expressed his intention to propose to Grace before he was rejected, and ultimately decided to stay behind. Grace never came up as a topic since. The mere fact that he mentioned a girlfriend had them wonder who it was.

Expecting his parents to weave their own perceptions of his sudden announcement, Neal made sure to hack off any stray thoughts. “Christa Lorenson, she’s one of our current residents in ER."

 _ **“Wasn't she... the blonde one when we were there last?”**_ Peter clarified.

Neal inwardly sighed with relief. Count on his father’s memory to still be maintaining 100% functionality at times like this. “Yes, that’s right."

 _ **“She was very empathetic. I recall she introduced me to Lawrence Evans, Susan’s widowed husband,”**_ Peter explained brightly.

“She’s quite emotionally driven,” Neal agreed.

 _ **“She sounds wonderful Neal,”**_ Asra complimented.  _ **“I’m excited to meet her."**_

That was a quick turnaround, though Neal couldn’t complain.

 _ **"We'll get tickets for both of you then,"**_ Peter rectified.

"She'll likely want to pay for her own way Dad," Neal pointed out.

 ** _"Tell her it's a gift from us. It's the least we could do,"_** Asra reasoned out happily.

Neal smiled at this as he slipped his free hand into his pocket. "I will. Thank you."

 ** _"No. Thank YOU, Neal. You've no idea how much we appreciate your decision on this,"_** Peter told his son.

 ** _"We'll see you very soon,"_** Asra added before they disconnected the call.

Neal lowered his phone and looked at it for a while. "See you soon..." he whispered into the wind before slipping the device into his pocket and headed back inside to wrap up his shift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was intended to be the last chapter, but because it was starting to end up longer than I initially expected, I decided to break it into two chapters, so the final final chapter is the next one.
> 
> Trivia: I had written about half of the story and asked my girlfriend to read it. When she got to Angus talking about fondue, she literally responded the same way I had Mario reply, word for word. :P Before she even read Mario's reaction mind you.


	7. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal and Christa get ready to embark on their new journey as they bid farewell to the talented group of the Emergency Room of Angels Memorial Hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the absolutely last chapter!

By the end of that week, Neal had gotten the go signal from both Leanne and Ed Harbert, with all the paperwork in order. Leanne had even managed to convince the Hospital Director to phone ahead to Oxford to coordinate with Neal’s father to confirm the transfer of both Neal and Christa into the ER program starting September, enough for a transition period to take place before Neal completely took over. 

Although September was still about two months away, Neal’s parents insisted that he fly back earlier, and thus sent over plane tickets for a flight out of LAX on the first weekend of August. This gave Neal and Christa sufficient time to prepare, as well as tell the rest of those in Angels who were still in the dark with everything that was about to happen.

Neal and Christa invited the little family to breakfast at Hector’s to do just that. They met each other just outside the busy restaurant.

"You ready to go in?" Neal asked her with a small smile.

"Just about."

"You seem unnaturally nervous. Relax. It's just our friends."

"That's the problem."

"I'd imagine they all had their bets and suspicions by now," Neal considered with a wide smile, chuckling.

Christa shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"If we go in there and they pass around bills to solidify that theory, would you laugh?"

"I'd be impressed with you if that were to happen," Christa pointed out. "Shall we?"

Neal pushed the door open and held it open for Christa as they both walked past the threshold and into the restaurant.

The small group of ER doctors occupied two tables. It was Angus who spotted them and waved them over.

"Sorry if we ordered drinks ahead, we were getting parched," Angus apologized.

“Who the heck uses “parched"?” Mario quipped as he nudged Angus.

"No need to apologize, it's totally understandable," Neal told them in reassurance, chuckling at the little debate between the two.

"We also took the liberty of ordering for you," Malaya added as she slid over two glasses their way.

"Thanks!" Christa said appreciatively, taking a glass and immediately downed its contents.

"So, what's this little shindig about?" Mario asked, effectively breaking the ice to get down to work. Everyone else shifted their attention towards the couple.

Neal glanced momentarily over to Leanne, Jesse and Mike, who were situated the furthest from them as they nodded in encouragement. “We have a little announcement we’d like to make,” he began. “I’ve been offered a post as an ER Residency Director back in London, and, thanks to a little encouragement from Leanne, I’ve accepted it.” A round of applause burst from the group. Neal raised a hand, gesturing that he wasn’t finished yet. “And Christa will be coming with me and finishing her residency there."

“What?” Angus asked in surprise.

“That’s great news!” Malaya praised, turning to Christa who sat beside her and pulled her into an embrace.

“You guys don’t look all that surprised though,” Christa pointed out once she pulled away from Malaya.

Rollie smiled and simply raised his glass. “Most of us pay attention to more than just our patients, Christa,” he reminded her with a smile.

“Exactly,” Leanne affirmed before leaning forward and outstretched her hand across the table. “Now, pay up boys,” she said cheekily over to Mario and Angus as they both pulled out their wallets and handed the ER Director 10 dollars each. "Thank you~"

Neal smirked over to Christa at this as she surprisingly watched.

"Doctor Rorish?" Christa asked in surprise, as if asking for a brief explanation.

Jesse wagged his finger. "Uh-uh. In Hector's it's just Leanne, Christa," he corrected.

"These guys lost a bet to Leanne because they didn't want to believe you two were still going out," Mike clarified.

"I was sure things got rocky," Mario admitted defensively.

"It was totally rocky," Angus followed up.

“Somehow I question your trust issues with your fellow residents sometimes,” Leanne retorted slyly.

"So where did all those support speeches last night come from?" Christa asked curiously.

“You needed to hear it,” Mario expressed with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Sorry,” Angus apologized on their behalf.

Neal reached out to pat Christa reassuringly. “It’s alright, they mean well,” he consoled.

“Do you have a date of departure yet?” Jesse asked curiously.

“We do. The first weekend of August,” Neal answered.

The residents who just found out about this turned to Neal. Including Christa.

“My parents insisted to come earlier, for a smoother transition period,” Neal explained, directing the response towards Christa more than anyone else.

“Oh, okay. That makes sense,” Christa said, shoulders relaxing a little.

"That’s much better than how it happened with us here,” Mike admitted.

“I agree. The last thing you need is be thrown into the heat of battle completely unprepared,” Leanne agreed.

“Even if that process makes you stronger,” Rollie added. “A… baptism of fire, if you would."

Angus was doing some mental counting. “Wait, that leaves us with roughly over a week left! I know Christa’s not going to have any problems leaving, but what about you?” he asked Neal.

“Neal’s current post has always been up in the air,” Leanne chimed in. “If we’re lucky, someone applies for it. If not, then that’s fine too. We’re not crippled without a surgical attending in the ER. It’s just much more convenient on our end, but I’d much rather avoid having to be the one to talk to Campbell.”

“Oh, about that…” Neal voiced out. “I did manage to find a replacement…of sorts."

“You felt guilty vacating it after all?” Jesse quipped.

“You don’t owe Campbell anything Neal,” Leanne reminded him.

“No, I don’t,” Neal agreed with a nod as he turned to Rollie. “But I do want to help patch a father-son relationship,” he finished with a small smile.

The residents didn’t immediately get this, but the older group seated further down the table understood the implications immediately.

“I’ve managed to convince Cole to come back,” Neal finished.

“How’d you manage that?” Angus asked in surprise.

Neal chuckled. “Let’s just say that he and I have more in common than we initially conceived. He’ll be coming in tomorrow, I’ve spoken to Harbert about reinstating him already.” He paused and shifted his attention back to Rollie. “I hope I wasn’t overstepping,” he added in apology.

Rollie shook his head. “No, you didn’t,” he reassured him. “But thank you. Hopefully he’s listened to reason and will stay long enough this time around."

Neal nodded in agreement as Jesse raised a glass. “To Neal and Christa,” he toasted. “May you make the most out of this new opportunity~"

The group mimicked the gesture and raised their glass to toast the departing couple.

“Food’s on us tonight,” Neal announced as he called for some menus, and set to enjoy the rest of the morning with the very best ER physicians he had the pleasure of working with.

* * *

Later that week, Neal had been figuring out how best to pack his books when he spotted an envelope that came in the mail for him just the day before. Upon opening it, he spotted the two plane tickets contained within. Christa, who was helping him pack, spotted the envelope.

“What are those?” she asked.

Neal flipped the tickets around to show her. “Our tickets to London,” he explained.

Christa’s eyes widened in panic. She had fully expected to pay her own way to London when she had agreed to go with Neal. She didn’t want to be dependent on him and she didn’t want to give the impression that she needed that kind of support from him either. She set down the pile of clothes she had neatly folded back down on the bed and approached Neal. “Let me pay for my ticket,” she bargained.

“That’s unnecessary,” Neal responded smoothly as he set the tickets down on the desk and busied himself with picking out the small amount of books littered about the desk.

“Neal,” Christa said again, reaching out and rested his hand over Neal’s just as he began starting a short stack. “Please, I insist. Let me pay for my ticket,” she said again.

Neal smirked his casual, knowing smirk. “Even if I tell you it’s a gift from my parents?” he asked.

Christa blinked at this information. “…Oh.” She couldn’t really insist to pay her own way if that was the case, but that still led her to wonder why that was even the case.

Realizing he needed to explain himself again, Neal grabbed Christa’s hand and got to his feet. “I called my parents some time back to let them know about my decision. You could imagine their excitement when I told them I’d agreed to come."

“Okay, but I don’t see how that translates to the tickets being a gift,” Christa voiced out suspiciously.

Neal gently redirected his hands around Christa, pulling her close as they shared a chaste kiss. “I also mentioned that my girlfriend would be coming along with me."

This was unexpected for Christa. Neal was never really vocal about their relationship status, and the fact that he had acknowledged her as his girlfriend, much less to his parents, was an achievement in itself. Her smile went wide, both mentally and physically.

“My father recalled how you helped him along when I had intubated my mother,” Neal went on to explain further. “So they’re quite excited to get to know you better."

"I didn't realize I had gotten into your father's good graces with that one act," Christa admitted.

Neal smiled as he kissed her again. "You gave him solace when he otherwise would have grieved. I think that warrants a debt of gratitude repayable by a plane ticket, wouldn't you agree?"

"Even then, isn't a plane ticket just a little excessive?"

"Most Englishmen usually are," Neal supplied.

Christa smiled warmly at this. "Please don't tell me to get used to that," she requested.

"Well, I can't very well make any promises right now..." Neal considered thoughtfully.

"Fair enough," Christa conceded. "Now come on, I think we still have a lot of packing to do," she urged, pecking him on the lips again before they continued packing.

* * *

It wasn't long before August had come around, and the ER team had finished their night shifts and headed straight for LAX Airport to see Neal and Christa off, as they had the afternoon flight. The group saw them just after they had checked in their luggage and were about to head off towards the gates. The residents moved up to Christa, while Jesse and the attendings moved up to Neal.

"Wow, you guys didn't have to come all this way after shift," Christa told them when she spotted the three, adjusting her hold on her shoulder bag. "Aren't you tired?"

"We are, but we wanted to come anyway," Malaya reassured her as they exchanged hugs.

"Yeah, you guys leaving was really unexpected for us," Mario admitted.

"Suddenly everything feels so incomplete with you guys leaving," Angus added.

"You guys will survive. You're all really good at saving lives," Christa acknowledged as she gave each of them hugs in turn.

"Good luck out there Christa," Angus expressed.

"Angels was lucky to have you," Malaya added with a smile. 

* * *

"You didn't think you could just leave without saying goodbye, did you?" Jesse asked with a wide smile.

Neal smirked coyly at this. "Absolutely not."

"Come here," Jesse cooed as he pulled Neal into a squeeze.

"I'll miss you, Mama," Neal told him, patting Jesse's back before pulling away.

"You know it."

Neal turned to Mike. "It was nice working with you again Mike," he said, holding out a hand.

"Come on man, you know that's not my style," Mike quipped. "You may be going back to London, but you're American now too, right?" he added before pulling Neal into a brief embrace. "I'm gonna miss you, brother."

Overhead, an announcement echoed throughout the airport about the plane arriving bound for Heathrow.

Neal nodded his agreement to this before he pulled away from Mike and turned to Leanne. He moved up to his mentor and dear friend. "I suppose I should take this time to thank you, Leanne. For everything."

A half-smile etched across Leanne's lips. "Actually, I should be thanking you too, Neal. For being patient and keeping up with me."

Neal chuckled. "Somebody had to," he admitted.

They regarded each other for about a second longer before pulling each other into an affectionate embrace.

"You go out there and show them what you can do, Neal," Leanne spoke into his chest.

Neal nodded in response to this. "Thank you, Leanne. For believing in me."

Leanne pulled away and gave Neal a nod before she turned to Christa. "You two should be checking in now," she instructed.

"We'll keep in touch," Christa reassured the group before she and Neal waved their goodbyes and made their way towards immigration hand in hand.

"There they go Daddy," Jesse said wistfully.

"Don't sound so sad Mama. I'm sure we'll see them again," Leanne told him as she wrapped an arm around him and squeezed him alongside her. "We'll see them again soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it out!
> 
> The airport scene somewhat mirrors my take on how the cast say goodbye to Raza and Bonnie, with promises of seeing them again. While Neal and Christa will no longer be back for Season 2, they will continue to live on in the stories we weave as fans of the show, or of the actors. I have an idea of an epilogue for this, or an entirely new spin-off altogether, but you'll have to wait a little longer before that sees the light of day.


End file.
